Sylvania



Oct. 2, 1928.

J, W. BAKER SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet VII/IIIIIIII/I/IIIIIIIII/Ilfl IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIfiI/Ih INVENTOR. gwm 9% M ATTORNEY.

Oct. 2, 1928. 1,685,799 J. w, BAKER SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 28, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WL'W I N VEN TOR.

4 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 2, 1928. v

UNITED STATES v 1,685,799 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. BAKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STOKES AND SMITH COMPANY, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PEN N- SYLVANIA.

Application filed January My invention relates to the feeding of sheets, as of paper or other material, to any destination, for example, to adhesive-applying apparatus; and more particularly to the maintenance of the top of a stack or pile of sheets substantially flat, at least throughout a considerable portion of the upper face thereof, to ensure proper positioning with respect to the means which picks up and withdraws v1 the sheets in succession from the stack.

When sheets of ununiform thickness, as when. embossed over a portion of their area, or when provided locally with reinforcing elements or tabs, are disposed in a stack or pile and fed in succession from the top thereof; there occurs sagging of the stack between the areas of greater thickness, with the result that the upper surface or top of the stack from which the sheets are withdrawn in succession is bowedfor departs from a plane or flat position, or is otherwise unsuitable to effect co-operation with the sheet-picking and withdrawing means.

In accordance with my invention, the. aforesaid difficulty is overcome by supporting the stack in substantially vertical alignment with the sheet-picking and withdrawing means and further at a region more remote therefrom to cause the top face of the stack, or at least a substantial portion thereof adjacent the sheet-picking and withdrawing means, tov lie substantially flat, and by feeding the stack 4 upwardly and following it by a table or support which, when the stack has been materially reduced in thickness, supports and elevates theremainder of the stack.

My invention resides in the method and structure of the character; hereinafter de scribed and claimed. f I

For an understanding of my method and for an illustration of one of the various forms my apparatus may take,reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in vertical section, of apparatus embodying my invention. y

' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary. end elevational .view of the stack and supporting means therefor. 1 r 1 t Fig. 3 is a view similar-to Fig. 1.,with the parts in the position theyoccupy when the stack has been materiallyreduced in height.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of a sheet and its su port-ing members. A 4

" Re err-ing first to F g. 4, there is'shown in SHEET- FEEDING APPARATUS.

28, 1925. Serial No. 5,208.

plan a sheet 8, of paper or other-material, whose thickness is not uniform. This lack of uniformity of thickness may be due'to various causes, such as embossing upon a portion of the surface of the sheet 8, or, as indicated, the application thereto of reinforcing elements or tabs t, which latter are employed, for example, to reinforce those portions of the sheet 8, when used for wrapping or covering boxes, which are lapped around the corners of the boxes. t

A stack of sheets of this character will sag between the areas of greater thickness, with the result that thetop face of the stack will not lie fiat or plane and will prevent or at least render difficult the picking and selection of sheets from the top of a stack by a suction roller or equivalent sheet-pickingand withdrawing means.

To overcome this difficulty, the stack is supported at its bottom by engagement therewith until the last sheet has been fed from the table.

Referring to Figs. 1. to 3 inclusive, there is fixed upon the main frame 1 the front plate or stop 2, against which abuts the forward end or edge of the stack S of superposed sheets 8. 1 p

The top or upper feeding surface of the stack S is maintained at a substantially constant height, so that there may co-operate therewith any suitable sheet-picking and withdrawing means, such, for example, as the suction roller 3, whose bore 4 isin communication with a vacuum pump and with the cup or recess 5 in its periphery, incommunication with the passage 4, for sucking up into contact with the roller 3 the uppermost sheet of the stack. The roller 3, by virtue of suitable mechanism, not shown, then transports the picked-up sheet and delivers it on to the guide ortongue 6 when the latter, together with the feed roller 7 has been moved from left toward the right to position to bring the roller 7 into contact with the driven feed roller 8, to thereafter further advance the selected sheet. The movements of roller 3, tongue 6 and roller 7 may be effected bystructur'e of the character disclosed in Nttseh and Faker link 18 at 22.

application Serial No. 3,316, filed January 19,1925.

The stack-supporting table 9, by suitable mechanism, not shown, is fed upwardly ace, rd with diminution of the height of the stack S. i

r led, respectively, upon the vertically extending bars 12 and 13, extending freely through apertures in the table 9 and carried by the member 14, to which is pivoted at 15 the link 1.6, in turn pivoted at 1'7 to the link 18 pivoted to the base 1 at .19. Pivoted to the table 9 at 2.0 is the link 21, pivoted to the The lengths of the'linlrs 16, 18' and 21are so related to each other in conjunction with the relative positions of the pivots 15, 17, 19, 20 and 22 that the supporting members 10 and 11 are fed upwardly by the upward movement of the table 9, but at a suitable lower rate such that when the number of sheets in the stack S hasbecome relatively small by succcssive'feeding of sheets therefrom, the stack is no longer directly supported by the members 10 and 11, but is supported by the table 9, Fig. 3, which then sulfices to maintain the upper surface of the stacksuitahly plane or level to effect the desired pick-u p and sheet-feeding operations.

By the operation described, the upper face of the stack S, and particularly that portion thereof with which the suction roller 3 or equivalent co acts, is maintained substantially plane or. level throughout the decrease in height of the stack consequent upon removal of the sheets therefrom. i

Vhat I claimis:

1. In the-art of feeding sheets of ununiform thickness from the top of a stack thereof wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets gives to the stack different heights in different vertically disposedregions, the step of supporting the stack when of considerable thickness at its bottom substantiallysolely in a region of minor stack height'to effect at its top a predetermined feeding formati on. v

2. In the art of feedingsheets of ununiform thickness from the top' of a stack thereof wherein the uniform. arrangement of the sheets gives to the stack different heights in different vertically disposed regions, the step of supporting the stack when of considerable thickness at bottom substantially solely in a region of-minor stack height to effect at its top a localized substantially feeding surface.

3. In the art of feeding sheets having reinforcing tabs adhering thereto from the. top of a stack thereof wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets and tabs gives to the stack greater height only in'thevertically disposed regions occupied by'the tabs, the method which comprises locally supporting the stack at its bottom in a plurality of regions removed from the regions occupied by said tabs, and raising the stack by applying forces only in the regions removed from said tabs. j

at. In the art of feeding sheets having reinforcing tabs adhering thereto from the top of a stack thereof wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets and tabs gives to thestack greater height only in the vertically disposed regions occupied by the tabs, the method which comprises locally supporting the stack l at its bottom in a plurality of regionsfremoved from the regions occupied by said tabs, raising the stack by applying-forces only in the regions removed from said tabs,

and after substantial reduction of "height of the stack supporting it overa greaterarea of its bottom. 7 Y

5. In the art of feeding sheetsof ununiiform thickness from the top of-a stack thereof, the method which compriseslocally supporting the stack at its-bottom to effect at its top a predetermined feeding formation, feeding the stack upwardly, and after substantial reduction of height of the stack supporting it over a greater area of its bottom. p

6/ In the art of feeding sheetsof ununiform thickness from the top of a stack thereof, the method which comprises locally supporting the stack at its bottom at a plurality of separate areas to effect at-its top a predetermined feeding formation, feedingthe stack upwardly, and after substantial reduction of height of the stack siuaportingit over a greater area of its bottom. g

7. Sheet-feeding apparatus for feeding upwardly a stack of sheets of ununiformthickness wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets gives to the stackdifferent heights in' different regions comprising interdependent members for locally supporting the stack at its bottom in regions ofminor stack height, and means for feeding such members upwardly simultaneously at substantially the same Speed. w

8, Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising means for locally supporting the bottom of a stack of sheets of unun-iform thickness to effect at the top of the stack a predetermined feeding formation, and an upwardly inoving support for the bottom of the stack'controlling the upwardmovement of said 'supstack of sheets of ununiform thickness to effeet at the top of the stack a predetermined feeding formation, an upwardly movable support for the bottom of the stack, and means for feeding upwardly said support-- ing means at a rate slower than the rate of upward movement of said support.

10.Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising means for locally supporting the bottom vof a stack of sheets of ununiform thickness to effect at the top of the stack a predetermined feeding formation, an upwardly movable support for the bot-tom of the stack, and means for supporting said supporting means upon said support and for feeding said supporting means upwardly at a rate slower than the rate of upward movement of said support.

11. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising means for locally supporting the bottom of a stack of sheets of ununiform thickness toeffeet at the top of the stack a predetermined feeding formation, an upwardly moving sup-. port for the bottom of the stack, a fixed member, and links connecting said support and said supporting means to each other and to said fixed member for effecting predetermined difference in rate of upward. movements of said support and said supporting stack of sheets of ununiform thickness to ef-- feet at the top of the stack a predetermined feeding formation, an upwardly moving support for the bottom of the stack, a fixed memher, a link pivoted to said fixed member, and links pivoted, respectively, to said supporting means and said support and to said link for effecting upward movement of said supporting means at a different rate from that of said support. V

13. Sheet-feeding apparatus comprising means for locally supporting the bottom of a stack of sheets of ununiform thickness to effect at the top of'the stack a substantially fiat facial area, means for feeding said supporting means upwardly, a suction member co-acting wit-h said substantially flat area for removing sheets from the stack, and a support for the bottom of the stack moving upwardly at a rate greater than the upward movement of said feeding means.

14. Sheet-feeding apparatus for feeding upwardly a stack of sheets of ununiform thickness wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets gives to the stack different heights in different regions, comprising a member for supporting the stack at its bottom, substantially solely in a region of minor stack height, and means for feeding said member upwardly.

15. Sheet-feeding apparatus for feeding upwardly a stack of sheets of ununiform thickness wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets gives to the stack different heights in different regions, comprising a member for locally supporting the stackat its bottom in a region of minor stack height, and an upwardly moving support for the bottom of a stack having a predetermined p sition with respect to said member for each position thereof.

16. In the art of feeding substantially identical sheets, each having portions of its surface inv different'planes, from the top of a stack thereof wherein the uniform arrangement of sheets gives to the stack different heightsin different vertically disposed regions, the step of locally supporting the stack at its bottom in a region of minor stack height, and raising the stack by applying force thereto substantially solely in said re- "1011.

a 17. Sheet-feeding apparatus for feeding upwardly a stack of sheets having reinforc ing tabs adhering thereto wherein the uniform arrangement of the sheets and tabs gives greater height to the stack in the vertically disposed regions occupied by said tabs, comprising structure for locally supporting the stack in a region removed from said tabs, and means for feeding said structure upwardly.

:JOSEPH w. BAKER. 

